A Stanly County man – whose charitable foundation named for Zahra Baker came under fire this week from some donors – says he is not misusing the money given in memory of the slain Hickory 10-year-old.Jim Julian, whose Zahra Claire Baker Memorial Foundation is aimed at helping childhood victims of serious disease and their families, was criticized by some donors who complained to two Charlotte TV stations about the way the foundation is being operated.Julian admits not being experienced at running a charitable organization but says he is not misusing money.

Just a quick checking in.....I googled today and did not find any updates on the test results. I am so hoping the skull belongs to our little Zahra, somehow knowing it was close to the other remains makes me feel better. Not sure why, but it just makes me sick to think she was scattered here and yonder.

CALDWELL COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - A memorial service in Caldwell County will mark what would have been the 12th birthday of Zahra Baker.

The service will be held at the Zahra Baker Memorial on Christy Road at 1 p.m., just feet away from the spot where her remains were found in 2010.

Zahra was a 10-year-old disabled girl who was killed and dismembered in October 2010.

Parts of her body were found in multiple sites around Catawba and Caldwell counties months after her disappearance. Zahra's arm bone, prosthetic leg, torso and pelvic area were found.

Police said they also found a saw, which they believe was used to cut up the girl's body. A vertebrae and other bones of Zahra were also found with saw cut marks on them, an investigator said earlier this year.

But Zahra's head and many other body parts were never found. ::snipping2::

CALDWELL COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - A memorial service in Caldwell County will mark what would have been the 12th birthday of Zahra Baker.

The service will be held at the Zahra Baker Memorial on Christy Road at 1 p.m., just feet away from the spot where her remains were found in 2010.

Zahra was a 10-year-old disabled girl who was killed and dismembered in October 2010.

Parts of her body were found in multiple sites around Catawba and Caldwell counties months after her disappearance. Zahra's arm bone, prosthetic leg, torso and pelvic area were found.

Police said they also found a saw, which they believe was used to cut up the girl's body. A vertebrae and other bones of Zahra were also found with saw cut marks on them, an investigator said earlier this year.

But Zahra's head and many other body parts were never found. ::snipping2::

Local contractor Herb Creasman discusses how he built the cover over the Zahra Baker Memorial on Christie Road after the dedication of the site.

Flowers came from as far as New Jersey to the dedication of the Zahra Baker Memorial on Christie Road. Friday would have been Zahra's 13th birthday

HUDSON N.C. — Hundreds of people have dedicated themselves to making sure Zahra Baker will never be forgotten. A park was built in her memory. Laws have been passed in her name. Student will attend college on Zahra Baker scholarships.

Friday afternoon a local minister held an official dedication for the memorial that stands where officers found the first tangible proof that Zahra was dead — her arm bone. The ceremony marked what should have been her 13th birthday. ::snipping2::

US town dedicates memorial to murdered Australian girl Zahra BakerNovember 18, 20125:38AM

ON what would have been her 13th birthday, people in a small town in the US have remembered murdered Australian schoolgirl Zahra Baker in a simple ceremony.

Cancer survivor Zahra was 10 years old when she was killed and dismembered in September 2010. Her American stepmother, Elisa Baker, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in September 2011.

In Hudson, North Carolina, where Zahra went to school for a short time, a local minister on Friday held an official dedication for a memorial that stands where police found the first tangible proof that Zahra was dead - her arm bone and her prosthetic leg, the Hickory Daily Record (HDR) reports.

The memorial stands on the property of Jake and Pricilla Icenhour, who built the memorial to the little Australian girl they never met.

"If we ever sell the land, we'll have something written in the contract that says the memorial will stay here," Icenhour told the newspaper.

The roadside memorial holds a host of angels, teddy bears and toys that people have brought from as far away as Florida, New Jersey and Massachusetts, according to the HDR.

The gifts rest under a sign that quotes Hebrews 10:31: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

This is not the only memorial to Zahra. In May, a playground named for the schoolgirl was opened in the nearby town of Hickory, where Zahra lived with her biological father Adam Baker and stepmother.

Officers from the Hickory Police Department and the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office, who led the murder investigation, also attended the simple ceremony. ::snipping2::

US town dedicates memorial to murdered Australian girl Zahra BakerNovember 18, 20125:38AM

ON what would have been her 13th birthday, people in a small town in the US have remembered murdered Australian schoolgirl Zahra Baker in a simple ceremony.

Cancer survivor Zahra was 10 years old when she was killed and dismembered in September 2010. Her American stepmother, Elisa Baker, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in September 2011.

In Hudson, North Carolina, where Zahra went to school for a short time, a local minister on Friday held an official dedication for a memorial that stands where police found the first tangible proof that Zahra was dead - her arm bone and her prosthetic leg, the Hickory Daily Record (HDR) reports.

The memorial stands on the property of Jake and Pricilla Icenhour, who built the memorial to the little Australian girl they never met.

"If we ever sell the land, we'll have something written in the contract that says the memorial will stay here," Icenhour told the newspaper.

The roadside memorial holds a host of angels, teddy bears and toys that people have brought from as far away as Florida, New Jersey and Massachusetts, according to the HDR.

The gifts rest under a sign that quotes Hebrews 10:31: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

This is not the only memorial to Zahra. In May, a playground named for the schoolgirl was opened in the nearby town of Hickory, where Zahra lived with her biological father Adam Baker and stepmother.

Officers from the Hickory Police Department and the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office, who led the murder investigation, also attended the simple ceremony. ::snipping2::

Happy New Year Monkeys,

Grace-land, Thank-you for sharing this article.

I keep thinking of all the hard work and dedication from the Doctors, Nurses, and health-care workers, in helping little Zayra, with her battle with Cancer, only to have one crappy person, end it all for a little girl who wanted to grow-up and dreamt of attending College.

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Wynton Marsalis~"Let us Give, Forgive, and Be Thankful" Zayra is remembered

HICKORY — A big tree overlooking the Zahra Baker All Children’s Playground at Kiwanis Park would be perfect for a wheelchair-accessible tree house. Next week, a group of Hickory officials will meet at the park to see if the tree house can be built.

The group will include city officials, Kiwanis leaders and business representatives, said Hickory Mayor Rudy Wright. He really wants to see the tree house become a reality.

“It would be so special, something few people have,” he said. Wright has wanted the tree house since he saw one in Kingsport, Tenn., when Zahra’s Playground was still in the fundraising stage. He and other tree house advocates are realistic, however, because one that would accommodate wheelchairs is expensive.

“We may not be able to make it happen,” he said, “but we want to take a look.”

When the playground at Kiwanis Park opened last May, Wright said one piece of special-needs equipment was $25,000.

Spurred by the Kiwanis Clubs of Catawba County, a goal was set to raise $85,000 to build a park in memory of Zahra Baker – the little girl who survived two attacks by cancer, only to be killed by her stepmother. The park would be accessible to children of all physical and mental capabilities.

An outpouring of support that not only swept across the Hickory-Catawba County area but netting contributions from around the world resulted in approximately $200,000 for the playground. But there wasn’t enough money for the tree house. ::snipping2::

HICKORY — A dream treehouse could be in the works at the Zahra Baker All Children’s Playground.

“Building a treehouse that is accessible to children of all abilities at this playground just makes sense,” said Steve Aaron, representing the Kiwanis clubs of Catawba County. “There is a beautiful tree that a treehouse would fit around, perfectly.”

The idea for a treehouse that would be fitting for all children, including those in wheelchairs, has been discussed since the playground was built. A Hickory delegation that visited Kingsport, Tenn., two years ago saw a specialized treehouse that captured their fancy. ::snipping2::

HICKORY, N.C. -- A skull found in Caldwell County last April has been identified as that of Zahra Baker.The skull was found in the woods on Winkler Way off N.C. 268 on April 17 by a hunter. ::snipping2:: Her stepmother, Elisa Baker, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Zahra’s death in September 2011, but her skull had never been found before now.The NC SBI Crime Lab, the state medical examiner and Marshall University in West Virginia worked to compare a DNA profile used in the case against Elisa Baker to match the skull with Zahra Baker. ::snipping2::The examination, however, was not able to provide more information on how Zahra was killed.Family members have been notified and the remains will be returned to the appropriate people with the assistance of the Australian Consulate.Elisa Baker is scheduled to be sentenced March 4 in a federal drug conspiracy case in Statesville. ::snipping2::

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" Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." - Daniel Moynihan